


cowboy boogie

by 2face



Series: McHanzo Week 2016 [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Angela and Jesse have a sibling relationship, Fluff, M/M, McHanzo Week 2016, background Gency, country music content warning, it could be read as platonic? but just in case, more Anxious Hanzo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 02:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8950573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2face/pseuds/2face
Summary: day 3: alternate universeJesse McCree is a young ballet dancer struggling to find his footing.  Hanzo Shimada comes into his life like a bolt from the blue. He doesn't mind.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I am _not_ a dancer so I apologize ahead of time for any inevitable inaccuracies! This could probably use a lot more editing but I'm already more than a day late and I just really want to get it posted aaaahaha. Thank you for reading.

“Ah!”

“Oh shit, Angie, sorry!”

All heads in the studio turned to Angela and Jesse. Angela was on one leg, holding her foot, and Jesse was beside her, expression panicked.

“You two alright over there?” came the deep tone of their instructor across the room.

“Yes,” answered Angela, stretching her toes before setting her foot back down, “It surprised me, more than it actually hurt.”

Gabriel motioned for Ana to take his place helping the dancer he was currently with, then came over to Jesse and Angela. “What happened?”

Angela looked at Jesse, one brow raised, wondering the same thing. Jesse cleared his throat and avoided eye contact with either of them. “I, uh, stepped on her foot,” he admitted.

Gabriel sighed. “Really, McCree?”

“It’s okay, Gabriel. I’m fine,” Angela attempted to defuse the situation.

“A child’s mistake,” Gabe said, not taking his eyes off Jesse. “What if you had really hurt her? What’s next, dropping her?”

There were few times Jesse McCree was ever at a loss for words. Under Gabe’s disappointed gaze, however, was one of those times. His face was red with shame, his gaze fixed pointedly at the floor.

Gabriel studied him for a moment. “Are you still working nights at that deli?” he finally asked. To most, the question may have seemed unrelated. But Jesse knew where he was going.

“I can handle it!” he snapped, finding his voice.

“I’m not so sure,” Gabe replied coolly. “I need you at your best, McCree.”

“I am!”

The two stared each other down. It was clear more needed to be said between them, but now was not the time. Gabe pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Do the sequence again. Without injuring anyone this time.”

Jesse took position with Angela and did as told, nigh flawlessly, as if powered by his own stubbornness. He could feel Gabriel’s eyes on him, watching him like a hawk for any sign of weakness, and he was determined to prove him wrong.

Eventually the class came to a close. Jesse packed up and was almost out the door when he heard Gabriel call him to stay behind.

Jesse stormed over reluctantly. “Can we not, boss? I don’t want to be late. For my job. At the _deli_.”

Jesse knew he was pushing it. Gabriel would have never tolerated the way Jesse was talking to him from anyone else. But Jesse also knew, and felt a twinge of guilt because of it, that he got away with so much because Gabe loved him.

Gabe rolled his eyes, unfazed by the attitude.

“You didn’t have to move out, you know.”

Jesse’s brow was a tight knot. “Yeah, I did.”

“If it’s too hard, Jesse-”

“It’s _not_. Have a little faith in me, would you?” Jesse’s voice rose, and again he felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. He adjusted his bag on his shoulder and turned for the door. “I have to go.”

And he left.

Gabriel heaved a great sigh and collapsed into a chair on the edge of the room. Ana, who had been trying not to get involved as she tidied up, came around behind him and massaged his shoulders comfortingly.

“Let him go, Gabriel. He’ll be alright.”

“I don’t know how you can be so confident.”

“You can’t blame a young man like him for wanting to be independent. Were you any different, at his age?”

Gabe let himself relax slightly in Ana’s hands, pondering the question. It made him feel old, but It was hard for him to believe Jesse was already twenty-three. It seemed like just yesterday he had been seventeen, clumsily trying to balance at barre for the first time in his life.

“I suppose not.”

 

-

 

“I’ll see you Monday, Reinhardt!”

“Ja, thank you for your help, Jesse! Try to get some rest!”

Jesse waved a hand in acknowledgment as the bell of the deli’s door chimed behind him and he emerged onto the city street.

He stretched and felt every muscle protest. The walk home wasn’t long, ten minutes, tops, but everything hurt and he was not looking forward to it.

 _It could always be worse_ , he told himself for encouragement as he trudged home. He could still be on the streets, running odd jobs for the wrong crowd, trying to mug professional _danseurs_ and getting his ass handed to him instead

He climbed up four stories, announced “I’m home,” to his empty apartment, threw his leotard in the wash and collapsed into bed. He groaned into his pillow. He felt like he must be dead.

He was too tired to even dream.

 

-

 

The next morning was ordinary, at least at first. Jesse got up at seven, showered, dressed, and boarded the bus to the stop closest to the studio.

He was less than a block away when he was stopped on the street by a green-haired man in sunglasses.

“Sorry, excuse me, you wouldn’t happen to know where Reyes Dance Studio is, would you? My phone says it should be right here.”

Jesse blinked. “Yeah, I’m on my way there, actually.”

The stranger’s eyebrows rose over the top of his sunglasses. Jesse laughed internally. He knew he was being looked over. He was used to it. In his boots, flannel and Stetson he didn’t look much like anyone who have anything to do with dance.

The green-haired man grinned. He turned to the man behind him, who was facing away, arms crossed. “Lucky, eh _anija_?”

The second man looked around. Jesse’s mouth went dry. Long dark hair, sharp eyes, stunning cheekbones. Jesse was in awe.

The long-haired man said something to the green-haired man in Japanese. He did not _look_ particularly pleased.

Green-hair ignored him and turned back to Jesse. “I hope you don’t mind if we tag along,” he said.

“‘Course not,” Jesse replied, though he did have to wonder who these people were. Did they want to audition? They certainly looked _fit_ enough to be dancers. “Uh, this way.” He gestured vaguely and began walking.

The two behind him spoke rather heatedly in Japanese the whole way, but Jesse couldn’t begin to guess what they were talking about.

“So,” he finally asked as they rode the elevator up to the ninth floor. “What’s your business at Reyes Dance?”

“No business,” answered Green-hair with a smirk. He took off his sunglasses and hung them from the collar of his shirt. He was handsome too, Jesse noted. “Just pleasure.”

If Jesse didn’t know better, he could have sworn he was being flirted with. Long-hair sighed.

“Gabriel Reyes is a legend,” Green-hair elaborated as they got off the elevator, “We’d like to see how he works in person, if he’ll allow it.”

Jesse shrugged, opening the door the studio. “Don’t see why not.”

A few dancers were already there, including Angela, as usual. She was chatting with Ana when Jesse walked in.

“Good morning-” Angela started upon seeing him, but she faltered, eyes wide, upon seeing the two men behind him. Ana’s brows rose in surprise as well, and Jesse was left wondering what he’d missed.

“Hanzo and Genji Shimada. To what do we owe the honor?” Ana asked welcomingly. Jesse ambled over to Angie, and she grabbed his hand, boring holes into him with her eyes, wordlessly demanding answers. He shook his head, baffled. _Who?_ he mouthed, and her lips fell slightly open, as if asking, _really?_

“Ana Amari! It has been a long time. We’re on vacation in town! Just thought we’d drop by and sit in on a class if we could,” answered Green-hair. McCree wondered if he was Genji or Hanzo.

“How grand,” said Ana with a smile, “Gabe should be here any minute now. Let me introduce you to our dancers.” She turned to Angela and Jesse, who were closest at hand. “Two of our principals, Angela Ziegler and Jesse McCree.” Jesse tipped his hat and Angela gave a small curtsy.

“Yes, we know Miss Ziegler. We were lucky enough to see her perform with the Stuttgart Ballet a couple years ago. Absolutely fantastic,” Green-hair said as he shook her hand.

“You flatter me,” Angela replied, a faint blush upon her cheeks.

“Jesse, go change,” Ana instructed, “Gabe won’t be happy if he sees you still dressed like that when he comes in.”

“Yes ma’am.” Jesse excused himself to the locker room. When he returned, Gabe had arrived, and was speaking to the Shimadas with Ana. Jesse joined Angela at her spot at along the wall.

“Is someone gonna fill me in?” he asked her as he started his warm up stretches.

“You are the one who arrived with them,” she answered, instinctively matching his hushed tone.

“I ran into them on the street! I don’t know ‘em.”

“ _Shimada_ , Jesse. Their father owns and leads the Tokyo Ballet. The older brother, Hanzo - he is considered one of the best dancers in the business today.”

“And which one’s Hanzo?”

Angela sighed. She and Jesse lowered to the floor. She held his feet as he began his sit-ups. “The long-haired one. Amélie Lacroix performed with him this year in the Tokyo Ballet’s Swan Lake. She caused quite a stir when she returned to Paris and said he was the only dancer in the world who was her equal.” She gave Jesse a narrowed look. “You… you do know who Amélie Lacroix is, correct?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jesse puffed as he came up. Amélie Lacroix, prodigy and star of European ballet. Nineteen and already performing with the world's most acclaimed companies. She and Angela were often mentioned in the same breath as renowned young dancers. Jesse sometimes wondered why Angela hadn’t yet auditioned for a bigger company. She had raw talent, experience and dedication enough, yet she stayed here with him.

“And what about the other one? Green-hair?”

“Oh, Genji.” Angela pursed her lips. “I’m not really sure. I don’t believe he’s been in anything very recently. I do not _remember_ his hair being that particular shade. I can’t exactly imagine him performing with it like that.”

The two switched positions, then rose and did a few more stretches. When warm-ups were done, Ana began leading the barre exercises. Jesse couldn’t help but be very aware of the strangers watching from the sidelines as he did his _plié_ and _tendu_.

When barre ended, Gabriel called Jesse and Angela over to where he was standing with the Shimadas.

“Show our guests the _pas de deux_ you’ve been practicing.”

The pair exchanged a look. Jesse had been having trouble with the part, but when he looked at the Shimada brothers, he felt determined. He wanted to impress them, for himself and for Gabe. He nodded at Angela and the two assumed position.

They did even better than the day before. The duet ended with Jesse lifting Angela and holding her, and when he put her down Genji clapped. Hanzo did not, but he was watching them both carefully. He said something to Genji in Japanese. Jesse was beginning to wonder if he spoke English. Genji said something back, and his brother rolled his eyes.

“A deal’s a deal,” Genji said to Gabriel. He pulled out his phone and connected to the studio speakers. The elder brother made his way to the center of the room.

“Pay attention, amateurs,” Gabe called to the room. “You don’t get to see this every day.”

A familiar piece from _Don Quixote_ came over the sound system. Hanzo performed the matching variation, a famous routine everyone in the room had seen before. But Jesse had never seen it like this.

His _jeté_ seemed to defy gravity, his _fouetté_ seemed to last forever. He wasn’t as... _cheerful_ as Jesse usually expected from the piece, but that was intriguing in and of itself.

When Hanzo finished the classroom applauded. He really was on another level, Jesse thought.

He ached with the desire to see more.

 

When class came to a close, Genji approached Jesse and Angela as they packed up their things, Hanzo close behind him.

“Hey, you guys were great! I really loved getting to see you dance.” He bounced a little on his feet. A high energy guy, Jesse mused. “If you’re not busy, why don’t we get drinks somewhere later? I’d like the chance to see a little nightlife before Hanzo and I go back to Japan.”

“Oh, that sounds like fun,” Angela said brightly. Jesse knew she could use a night out as much as he did. “You don’t work tonight, do you, Jesse?”

“Nah.” The studio was closed tomorrow too, so it probably wouldn’t hurt. “I’m down.”

Hanzo said something to Genji that sounded terse. Genji replied with something that sounded like begging. They argued for a moment before Hanzo sighed, apparently having given in. Genji looked pleased.

McCree gave them directions to his and Angela’s favorite club, a place downtown that was gay friendly and not usually too intense. The group parted ways for a bit, and McCree went home, washed up, and put back on the outfit he had worn on the way to class.

He got on the bus downtown, replaying Hanzo’s dance over and over again in his mind the whole ride.

The other three were already there when he arrived, waiting outside. Angela seemed to enjoying herself already, laughing at something Genji said. Hanzo’s face was a stoic mask.

“Shall we?” Jesse said, and made their way inside.

They got beers at the bar, then found a table with some stools and chatted a bit. “It seems like you haven’t been very active with the company, lately, Genji,” said Angela, and Jesse knew she had been wondering about it all day.

“Oh, I’m on semi-permanent leave,” said Genji with a slightly bitter chuckle. “I want to try things other than ballet. Father… disapproves, to say the least.”

Hanzo spoke up then, again in Japanese. Jesse was getting a little bothered by it.

“You sound like you disapprove too,” he ventured in Hanzo’s direction. Hanzo’s eyes widened, surprised he was being addressed.

“Genji has talent. I do not want to see it wasted.”

So he did speak English, Jesse thought, relieved.

Genji gave an exaggerated sigh. “The only thing that’s going to be wasted is this night if I don’t dance _right now_. Anyone want to join me?”

“Sure,” said Angela, eager to lighten the mood. Genji grinned at her. She looked back at Jesse, and Jesse looked at Hanzo, who was staring at his drink as if the label had insulted him.

“Y’all go on ahead.”

Genji took Angela’s hand and the pair headed for the dancefloor, disappearing into the crowd.

“Do you not want to dance?”

Jesse looked over to see Hanzo was studying him again, like he had in the studio. Jesse sipped his beer. “I danced all day. I don’t mind sitting still for a bit.” He suddenly felt confident, and decided to lay his cards on the table. “What about you? I’ll dance if you do.”

Hanzo gave him a dubious sort of look. Apparently he was not oblivious to flirting. He turned his gaze back to sea of bodies on the dancefloor. “I would… prefer to stay away from the crowd.” Someone chose that moment to bump into Hanzo’s back as they walked past. He grimaced.

“You ain’t fond of crowds?”

“...No.”

Jesse took a moment to observe Hanzo. His shoulders were tense, his expression tight. His eyes darted to any sudden sound. Anxious, Jesse concluded. Uncomfortable. He’d only come because Genji had asked.

“Let’s get out of here, then.”

Hanzo looked taken aback. “We have barely been here half an hour.”

“Aw, who cares? You ain’t enjoyin’ yourself.”

“Genji and your friend…”

“I’ll go find ‘em and tell ‘em what we’re up to. That sound okay?”

Hanzo was perplexed. Jesse thought for a moment he’d turn him down.

“...Yes,” Hanzo said finally.

Jesse gave him what he hoped was a charming smile and waded onto the dancefloor, scanning it for green and blonde hair. He found them still together, clearly enjoying themselves. He felt a surge of protectiveness.

“Hey, Angie.” He put a hand on her hip to get her attention. “Me and Hanzo are gonna bail. You gonna be alright here?”

She blinked. “Oh, you’re leaving? Together?”

Genji came to a stop too. “What’s going on?”

“Hanzo ain’t feelin’ it. I’m gonna take him somewhere else.”

A smile caught between amusement and confusion broke across Genji’s face.

“You okay, Angie?” Jesse asked again.

“Yes, thank you for telling me.”

“Call me when yer leaving and when ya get home.”

“Okay, Jesse,” said with feigned exasperation and clear affection. “Go have fun.”

“Take care of my brother!” Genji called as Jesse started making his way back to the table.

“Take care of my sister!” Jesse called back.

He found Hanzo again, still at the table. “Where are we going?” he demanded as they headed for the door.

“Somewhere a lil’ more quiet,” Jesse told him. He hailed a cab when got back outside, and gave the driver an address. Hanzo recognized it.

“The dance studio?”

Jesse grinned and pulled his keys from his pocket, singling out one in particular. “I can get us in.”

Hanzo looked amused. “You are a strange man, Jesse McCree.”

“So I’ve been told,” Jesse said with a tip of his hat. “What about you? Are you a strange man, Hanzo Shimada?”

“I must be, if I am going along with this.”

The pair looked each other over for a moment. Jesse couldn’t help but hope Hanzo liked what he saw, because Jesse certainly did.

“Y’know, I had no idea who you were until today,” he admitted, rather out of the blue. “Angie couldn’t believe it.”

Hanzo gave a bark of laughter. Jesse’s swore his heart almost stopped. _Damn_ , he thought. He was in trouble now.

“Is that so? No wonder you were so… casual.”

“Yeah, I haven’t been dancin’ as long as the rest of the company, sometimes I’m still a lil’ outta the loop.”

“A late beginner?”

“Mmm-hmm. Didn’t start ‘til Gabe picked me up when I was seventeen.”

Hanzo looked surprised. “And yet you have made principal. Impressive.”

Jesse’s brow lowered. “I dunno what you’ve heard, but I didn’t get promoted just because Gabe likes me. I worked my ass off to get this far.”

“I have heard nothing,” Hanzo said, very matter-of-fact. Then, with a smirk, “I had no idea who you were before today.”

Jesse gave a relieved laugh. “Then we started on the same foot. Good to know.”

The other soloists in the company hadn’t been happy when Jesse was promoted. There were a lot of hushed whispers, even outside the company, about Gabriel playing favorites, that Jesse didn’t really deserve it. Every day was a fight to prove them wrong, for his and Gabriel’s sake.

They arrived at the studio and took the elevator once again. Jesse unlocked the door and pulled up his phone. “Now where is… ah!” He tapped a playlist and linked up to the speakers. The twang of country guitars and a fiddle filled the room. “They ain’t gonna play anything like this at that particular club, that’s fer sure.”

 _Out in the country past the city limits sign_ _  
_ _Well there's a honky tonk near the county line…_

Hanzo snorted. “Surely it is a crime to deny their guests such fine pleasures.” Jesse laughed. He put his hands on his belt and began to step in time with the music.

 _The joint starts jumpin’ every night when the sun goes down_  
_They got whiskey women music & smoke _  
_It's where all the cowboy folk go_  
_to boot scootin' boogie_

A couple steps to the side, a knee hitch, a couple steps the other way. A couple steps forward, couple steps back. A swivel of the hips. Turn, repeat.

“What are you doing?” Hanzo asked.

“The cowboy boogie, o’ course. C’mon, I’ll teach ya.”

“I’m not sure. It looks _very_ advanced.”

“Oh, I’m sure even a beginner like yourself can handle it.” Jesse took Hanzo’s hand and positioned him beside him. He redid his steps, and Hanzo watched for a few seconds more before sighing and following along.

He got the hang of it very quickly, and from the slight smile on his face, Jesse thought he might even be having _fun_. A few more gaudy country songs followed, and by the end of it, Hanzo was a master of the cowboy boogie and had handle on couple other line dances too.

The next song was different. Spanish guitars and energetic trumpets, a mariachi band. Jesse laughed. “I forgot this was on this mix!”

He held his hands behind his back and hastened his steps, tapping his boots against the floor in a distinct rhythm.

“I know this song,” said Hanzo. “But I do not know the name.”

“A whole lot of people can say the same thing,” said Jesse, “ _El Jarabe Tapatio_. Feels a lil’ odd without a partner, though.” He’d put it on the playlist a while back when Sombra, a girl from the school’s advanced class, had been trying to teach him.

 _Listen, we are going to get so good at this, it’ll make Gabi cry,_ she’d said. Jesse thought he might have seen him tear up a little when they’d showed him, but it could have been his imagination.

The _jarabe_ was a little more complicated than the cowboy boogie, so Hanzo just watched, but he watched carefully. Near the end of the song, Jesse dropped his Stetson on the floor before side-stepping around it. When the song came to a close, he took an exaggerated bow. Hanzo clapped and Jesse couldn’t help but beam.

“My partner’s supposed to pick the hat up at the end, but…”

Hanzo bent down and picked up the hat.

“Ballet, ‘boogie,’ ‘jarabe.’ Is there anything you cannot do, Jesse McCree?”

Jesse tried to take his hat back, but Hanzo held on. He looked up at Jesse, like a scientist examining a curious specimen. Jesse flustered.

“Uh, I haven’t gotten the hang of salsa yet?”

Hanzo gave a small chuckle. He let go of the hat. Jesse put it back on, then pulled two bottles of water out of a mini fridge in the corner and handed one to Hanzo.

They sat down on the floor and there was a moment of quiet before Hanzo spoke. “Genji tires of ballet. Would I be despicable if I said sometimes I tire of it too?”

“Everyone gets tired sometimes.”

“Not a Shimada.”

“What about a ‘Hanzo?’”

Hanzo snorted. “What?”

“Does a ‘Hanzo’ get tired?”

Hanzo stared at Jesse, eyes narrow, lips ever so slightly parted, utterly baffled by the question. Jesse wasn’t sure he knew what it meant either.

 _Boys, you better keep your distance_ _  
_ _You can look but you can't touch_

There was a second of startled confusion before Jesse recognized his own ringtone coming from his phone across the room. Angela. He scurried across the floor to answer it.

_That honky tonk badonkadonk._

Angie was just calling to let him know Genji had called her a cab and she was heading home, still in one piece. She’d call again when she was in her apartment.

Jesse hung up and a second later Hanzo’s own phone buzzed in his pocket. A text from Genji, heading back to their hotel.

“I will think on your question,” Hanzo said. “Give me your phone."

Jesse did as he was told without hesitation, like he couldn’t help himself. Hanzo opened up his contacts added his number and his e-mail. He got Jesse’s number too. “We are returning to Japan tomorrow. But you are an interesting man, Jesse McCree. I want to see you again.”

“I’d like that,” Jesse said immediately. Hanzo smiled at him. It was softer than the other looks Jesse had gotten out of him tonight. It made his heart’s pace quicken.

Jesse McCree knew it. He was in deep, deep trouble.

 

They got another cab and Jesse dropped Hanzo off at his hotel. As Hanzo left the car, he pulled Jesse in by his collar and placed a chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth. It would give Jesse strength for the next six months.

The next morning, as Hanzo’s flight left for Japan, Jesse got a text.

「 頑張れ。」

He looked it up. “Keep fighting.”

Jesse could do that.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr @ antivan-brandy.tumblr.com


End file.
